A federal judge on Wednesday ruled it is unconstitutional for President Donald Trump to block critics on his personal Twitter account, deeming tweets from @realDonaldTrump to be a “public forum” under partial governmental control and therefore people cannot be excluded based on their political beliefs.

“This case requires us to consider whether a public official may, consistent with the First Amendment, ‘block’ a person from his Twitter account in response to the political views that person has expressed, and whether the analysis differs because that public official is the President of the United States,” wrote US District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald of the Southern District of New York. “The answer to both questions is no.”

The case against Trump, former communications director Hope Hicks, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and social media director Dan Scavino was brought in July by the Columbia University’s Knight First Amendment Institute as well as by several Twitter users who criticized the president and were subsequently blocked. (Sanders, who does not have access to Trump’s account, was dismissed as a defendant, as was Hicks, following her resignation earlier this year.)

Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight Institute, said they were pleased with the decision. “The president’s practice of blocking critics on Twitter is pernicious and unconstitutional, and we hope this ruling will bring it to an end,” Jaffer said. The White House and Department of Justice didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

All over the country, anti-Trump tweeters are rubbing their hands together with anticipation of finally being unblocked.

I imagine they have a lot of pent-up criticisms to share.

I find it more than a little ironic that the man who constantly belittles, insults, and mocks his political opponents and critics is such a thin-skinned little snowflake when those same tactics are directed at him.

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This blog is dedicated to finding the truth, exposing the lies, and holding our politicians and leaders accountable when they fall far short of the promises that they have made to both my fellow Alaskans and the American people.

9 Comments

OMG! I might have Jeff Flake’s baby. Listen to his speech at Harvard! Holy Shit!

anon
May 23, 2018 at 7:45 pm

Yeah, it’s called positioning himself to challenge Trump in the 2020 primaries. It’s disingenuous. Flake totally backed Trump when it counted.

Anonymous
May 23, 2018 at 7:22 pm

Jeff Flake has been weary of Trump for some time now. Now he sees the writing on the wall. He still seems reluctant to say that Trump has gone full Putin on us tho. And his fellow politicians are still sitting back and watching as they bask in the afterglow of their Republican victory. Only they are in complete denial that Trump and his constituents were seeded and is now growing with conspiracy fueled hatred of everything they think is wrong with the world other than the Trumpworld. AKA, the Trump cult.
All you have to do is go on youtube and see crazy conspiracy theories that beef up Trump as the great White savior of our world. It doesn’t take an Einstein to see that Putin and his cyber people are on the net 24/7 to work on the overworked imagination of the craziest of our voting population. Russia is not done with us yet.
I believe that Trump planting the spygate noise out there was a suggestion by his handler in the Kremlin. If any one is going to get Trump out of this mess, it’s the bald headed evil genius in Russia. Think I am wrong? Just wait for it. Trump is ramping it up with confidence because Putin has his back.

SRH
May 23, 2018 at 8:04 pm

I think those Repubs including Flake owe this country a big fucking apology and if he ran for office again, I’d say NOPE! I don’t care how great he sounds talking to the Harvard grads. He allowed this POS to crap all over our country and innocent immigrants, both legal and illegal. I’m so revolted by this mango turd I had to start limiting my time watching news and reading the terrible scandals that continue to unfold. We should name mango man the “lava liar” based on how his lies are borne out of the depths of hell and fired into the air by the force of nature.

Trump Admits His New Spygate Narrative Is A PR Stunt To Play The American People

In public, Donald Trump has been pushing a new “spygate” narrative – accusing the FBI of illegally spying on his campaign at the order of Barack Obama – but a new report indicates that behind closed doors, he knows it’s complete nonsense.

According to the Associated Press, Trump isn’t pushing his new conspiracy theory because he thinks it’s true and wants to get to the bottom of it. Instead, he believes the tagline will connect with the public and rally enough of his supporters to think he is innocent, no matter what investigators uncover.

In other words, it’s another Trump PR stunt meant to sell a product – his innocence, in this case – that nobody but his most delusional supporters are buying.

The AP notes: “Trump told one ally this week that he wanted ‘to brand’ the informant a ‘spy,’ believing the more nefarious term would resonate more in the media and with the public.”

Trump’s reckless effort to undermine the FBI comes after reports that the agency has been looking in his campaign since 2016.

According to The New York Times, these initial undercover investigations into the Trump campaign “helped provide the foundation for a case that, a year ago Thursday, became the special counsel investigation.”

Trump is desperate to save his skin – even if it causes a constitutional crisis

Trump’s new spygate tantrums are further evidence that he will say and do anything to divert attention from his corruption and undermine the ongoing investigations into collusion, obstruction and his business with Michael Cohen.

This new effort by the out-of-control president might fool enough of his supporters into thinking he’s innocent – no matter what investigators find – but it won’t change the outcome of the ongoing inquiries.

What this new PR stunt will do is inflict immeasurable long-term damage on the United States, particularly the institutions that work tirelessly to keep the country safe.

MSNBC’s Chris Hayes blew Donald Trump’s “America First” myth to pieces on Wednesday, laying out all the ways the president and his inner circle have repeatedly put their own financial interests above the United States.

According to Chris Hayes, despite Trump’s pledge to put the United States first, “It’s quite clear now that in many cases, America came in second to the interests of the president and his associates.”

Rachel Maddow put the focus on what she called a “really freaking big deal” on Wednesday, which is the fact that former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Donald Trump is president today because Russia essentially installed him there.

“I’m sort of amazed that it’s not becoming a more dominant story in the news right now,” the MSNBC host said.

An exposé and cover story in the (last) September issue of the New Republic, titled “Married to the Mob: What Trump Owes the Russian Mafia,” examines how the Russian mafia has used the president’s properties to launder money and hide assets.

…One of his big appeals is his business success – and his claim that his wealth means he can’t be bought and sold. But there’s evidence which not only casts doubt on Trump’s wealth claims – but also reveals his history of business relationships with figures connected to organised crime.